Headspace is the key, right? It’s mind over matter, isn’t it? Not this time. Golf coach to top pros and celebs, Hank Haney, has a reality program called the Haney Project. Hank has coached the best in the game, Tiger Woods for instance.  But in his TV show he takes a celebrity with a terrible game and tries to fix it. Hank looks for interesting personalities, like Charles Barkley and Rush Limbaugh, as his “projects.” It’s a smart formula that produces entertaining TV, even if you don’t like golf.

I like this show because of the similarities in my work. Here’s what I mean: I’m a chiropractor who built a 2,000 patient visit a week clinic system with eight associates. I’m also a coach who has mentored some of the top chiropractors around the world. Like Haney, I’ve also had some very challenging “project” clients that took every ounce of skill I had. But when a project goes well it’s beautiful.

A growing list these “project” clients have transformed right before my eyes and increased their practices by a true 100 to 300 patient visits a week. Many go on to sustain that growth and an increasing number become my dream clients – staying for many years and focusing on new challenges and exciting solutions.

When I speak of my “project” clients’ breakthroughs the smarter people in the room ask me, “What was the single most important change that allowed their extraordinary growth?” That’s a great question, the subject of this article, and where I drag Haney back into the article.

In one of the Haney Project episodes Rush Limbaugh asked Hank about the mental part of the game of golf. Haney said, “Get the mechanics right and the mental takes care of itself.” In other words, if you pound the ball out 280 yards off the tee and drop it in the middle of the fairway, then hit it tight to the pin from 174 yards out – your mental game will follow. I love that clarity.

Here’s why this is so important to you and me and how I’ve helped my “project” clients: Get the mechanics of a great practice right and you’ll be successful. And guess what follows? That’s right – the mental part of the game – what many call headspace.

This is a pet peeve of mine: I’ve heard so many practice coaches frustrate clients by blaming their “head space” for lack of success. The headspace answer is a “catch-all BS dodge” when the weak coach doesn’t know how to help the client.

Example: The client says “My new patients are down and my practice is crashing.” The weak coach says “It’s your head space.” What does that even mean? If you think a certain way, do new patients float into your office on the vapors created by your headspace?

I understand why a weak coach blames headspace: it puts the ball in the client’s court, but the answer is perfectly useless. It can also make the client feel like they have an inferior chiropractic philosophy.

But doesn’t the doctor in the busy successful practice have a good headspace? Usually, but where did the healthy stream of new and returning patients come from? In the literally thousands of practices I’ve coached, successful doctors have good mechanics. I think Haney’s answer is the real truth. Get the mechanics right and the mental (confidence) will follow.

Illustration: I produced 601 new patients in one 31-day period for my own clinics. Additionally, I opened a new clinic with 161 new patients in the first month. My headspace was great, but my mechanics created the new patients and my good headspace.

Here’s how I did it:

I learned several external marketing systems. Over a short period of time I worked them into templates with a series of steps that I could teach others.

I hired assistants and trained them to replicate my marketing templates. I quickly found out who was productive and reliable. The super-reliable became my managers and were given training and responsibility to hire their own assistants. We trained on my templates relentlessly – usually on the job. We kept the good ones and quickly said good-bye to the bad ones.

To stay in control of the mechanics I developed a reporting system where all my marketing managers and assistants reported to me every day. I required instant reports on good and bad news. I was never out of touch. My biggest clinic launch was handled by a 24-year-old woman named Jodi whom I had trained. She hired and trained her team to produce 161 new patients the first month open. Another manager oversaw a group of assistants, including my associates, when we produced 601 new patients in one month. I did so little of the front line work it’s laughable.

The mechanics of a great golf swing haven’t changed since Bobby Jones almost 100 years ago. A grandmother with reasonable athletic ability who masters the mechanics of that swing will beat 95 percent of today’s golfers.

Take away? When you know that you know what you’re supposed to know you feel good about walking up to the tee and can hardly wait to get into the office on Monday.

I’ve heard more than my share of chiropractors complain about staff. In fact, “the staffing issue” is the biggest stress to the established practice over 100 visits a week. If you’re under 100 visits a week your biggest stress is how to get over 100 visits a week.

The truth is working with people can be difficult, but a lot less difficult if you understand two separate and essential phases to developing top-quality staff people: the launch and the follow-up.

This piece is about the launch and even more specifically, it’s about leveling the launching pad by making your expectations crystal clear from the start.

I owe this discussion to my friend and business associate, Dr. George Birnbach. Ever since I heard him explain it, I’ve had the following conversation with every staff member and it’s saved me countless headaches.

As a short aside: I know that most chiropractic offices struggle greatly with employee launching and follow-up training. I hear “I don’t know how to do a launch or train, Noel” – and those are the honest ones. The clueless just think it’s the pool of applicants.

So few DCs have anything in the office titled New Employee Essentials (or similar) written on it or an established weekly training time. Most employee launches are just two-words: “Good-luck!” And follow-up training is three words: “Hang in there!” Is it a wonder we have the turn-over we do?

Contrast that with the thousands of successful companies who rate their new employee orientation and follow-up training procedures as THE top reason they are successful and you start to see staff launch and follow-up training in perspective.

The following is a key piece to my launch and integration portion for Sound Chiropractic and Five Star Management. You can use this for new or established employees right out of the box.

Here’s the setting: It’s an orientation meeting between me the owner and a new employee. We are sitting in my office and I’m explaining my part of how to be a successful employee at Sound Chiropractic Centers.

Owner: “Can you tell me what tenure means?”

Employee: “Isn’t that what professors get?”

Owner: “You’re right, but what does it mean?”

Employee: “Not sure, but it protects their job, right?”

Owner: “Exactly. What tenure means that your employer can’t have your position or the conditions of employment changed without extraordinary circumstances.

“Now, can you tell me what a merit based job is?”

Employee: “I’m guessing here, but it probably means that the employee must earn their position, right?”

Owner: “You are exactly right. The position is always evaluated based on the merit of the person in the job.

“Now, tell me – is my job a tenured position or a merit position?”

Employee: “You own the company, so I guess you’re tenured, right?”

Owner: “Wrong. I’m merit. Every private business owner is paid in the strictest sense in a merit system. Did you now that the overwhelming percentage of small businesses go broke? The mortality, or death rate, is 80 percent in the first five years and just as high in the next five years. In short, we are here because I’ve worked my tail off.

“Now, tell me, is your job tenure or merit?”

Employee: “I bet its merit, isn’t it?”

Owner: “Exactly. Merit, and like me – always will be. You can do brilliant work for 10 years and you decide that you want to start coasting on your reputation and you and I will be done – just like that.

“Does that sound harsh?”

Employee: “Not really. I think I get it.”

Owner: “That doesn’t mean that you can’t earn loyalty. That is built on reputation. If you earn a good reputation as a hard worker who we can count on for reliable consistent work who is willing to go the extra mile – then I will support you to the hilt.

“Now, let’s go over the goals of the clinic and your position again and I’ll explain how your job fits into the ‘big picture’ at Sound Chiropractic. I’ll outline the stats I’ll have you keep, explain your training schedule and make some assignments. Does that make sense? Super.”

What I’ve just done in a fair and kind way is let my new hire know that I work hard and expect that she will too. I also let her know that I will measure her merit with the organization objectively (stats) and that I will train her to do good work so she can earn merit and a good reputation. I’ve also explained that time spent with the company does not mean security – but merit and a good reputation will mean she will have my strong support.

Suggestion: Read this article with your staff and ask for a reaction. It will help you lower your stress, put you back in the driver’s seat and make practice more fun again.

Once again I’m grateful for the best vantage point in chiropractic – my consulting chair at Five Star. On a daily basis, I help some of the best doctors on the planet serve their community, build spectacular practices, reach their goals and realize long-cherished dreams.  It’s always rewarding and from time to time, the clarity that comes from this process is breathtaking.

Let me give you an example: Everyone wants great patient retention, but what is the best patient retention made of?

Strong philosophy? Essential. Good procedures? Without a doubt. BUT, the most important factors are the two most important aspects to our patients and that’s what I call “Love and Lead.”

I’ve seen this again and again – the doctors with the best PVA really love their patients and are not afraid to lead them – even when both are costly.

What do I mean by “loving” the patient? Quite simply putting their best interests first – ahead of my own. Going out of my way to serve them. Just think of how you would want your family cared for here. That’s what love looks like. It isn’t sentimental, but it does consider the thoughts and feelings of the individual. For love to really be tested it has to be inconvenienced. Caring enough to spend the time and money to be certified in your technique. Coming in early or staying late for someone who was stuck shows we are willing to be inconvenienced. That’s usable and practical love.

What do I mean by “leading” the patient? Being courageous enough to teach the patient about chiropractic, even if we might be misunderstood. Having the strength of our convictions to outline the required care and gently, but firmly encourage our patient to do whatever the right thing is – keep their appointments, do their exercises and not ruin their adjustments. Leadership includes standing with them where they are, focusing on their best future and asking them to follow you to a healthier place.

If you love me but can’t lead me you’re irrelevant. If you lead me but don’t love me, I don’t trust you.

Over time patients and entire communities will learn if you love and lead and when you do, they will gladly follow you to their best health decisions and stay with you and chiropractic for a lifetime.

Months ago I scheduled Five Star’s Galaxy meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Cancun. Within weeks we had booked the event solid and were making all the usual adjustments with the hotel that need to be done to make sure the event was just right for our clients and Five Star. At every turn the hotel was accommodating.

When I arrived I was greeted by Sarah and that’s when the magic really began. I’ll fast forward this for you — the hotel was perfection. Each aspect of our stay was an example of what a first-class hotel can do to make their guests happy. I was thrilled. However, it was what happened just before I left that was not only so impressive (Wow!), but instructive as well.

On the first day I arrived, Sarah mentioned that there would be a post-event interview to see how the hotel and staff performed. I didn’t think very much of it, but the day before we concluded our meeting it was mentioned again and the morning I left, I received a reminder call. I was starting to believe this was an important meeting to this company. It is, and did I learn a ton.

Antonio met me in the lobby where we sat in comfortable chairs as he asked me question after question about the hotel, their staff and my clients’ comments about the hotel. He also asked for me to rate everything on a 1 to 5 scale — 5 being the best. NOW I get it. The reason everything was perfect is this company takes detailed notes on everything experienced consumers say, and works to reward star performers and improve everyone’s performance.

So, how about this? On Day One in your office ask patients to fill out a short comment card and ask them the following:

1. Were you treated well on the phone when you called for your appointment?
2. Was it easy to get an appointment that worked for your schedule?
3. Were you greeted warmly and by name when you entered the office?
4. Did you see the doctor in a timely manner?
5. Were your health concerns addressed?

NOW, collect these cards and review them with your staff, adjusting your checklists and training to produce the same FIVE STAR exceptional service that the Ritz-Carlton trains for and delivers. THAT is exactly what I’m going to do on my long flight back to Seattle: make up a checklist of what I want my staff to deliver as exceptional customer service.

Now, I challenge you to create your own “Wow” experience for your patients by sincerely desiring and listening to their feedback. Imagine the excellence you will produce – Wow!

Ever been stumped by a patient question or objection and wish you had done a better job with the answer? I meet doctors all the time who repeatedly struggle with that same issue everyday – what is the best answer? Many are stressed and live in a low grade fear of those questions coming up and that can take a lot of the fun out of practice. If you collect enough of those issues, the practice is no fun at all. If this ever happens to you, I have a solution for you.

Write up the hard questions, write up or craft a good answer, and practice (role play) the answer with a staff person. Practice the answer with confidence until it flows smoothly. It’s called scripting. And scripting in it’s highest form is creating a tool to make your job easier and more enjoyable. Here’s an example: I had an office on the 75th floor of the Columbia Tower that had a problem with the wiring. I called maintenance and they sent a tech who had a tool belt full of small and unique tools that I had never seen before. I saw him use three of them to quickly solve my problem. It was slick.

Since his tools were unlike any collection I’d ever seen, I asked hem where he found them. “I’ve made all these myself,” he told me. “Every time I’m faced with a new challenge that a better tool will solve, I go make that tool. I keep making, collecting and discarding a few. Right now I figure these tools make my job easier and are fun to use. It’s a hobby of mine.” What a great metaphor!

Now to understand the parallel: MY tool making story. I spent a short time customizing a money script (I was making a tool) for a client. She had been having the common trouble of explaining what I call “the money” on her care plans and she wanted to polish that up and take care of it for good. It was a pleasure! She had the framework in one of my scripts, but had a unique concern. It just took a couple of minutes. Then we role played it back and forth a couple times. It was smooth as silk. We drilled on it for a moment and she went away happy as a lark. Hey, making scripting tools is a hobby of mine.

Since I know this doctor well, I can tell you that she has a whole “tool belt” full of scripts that make her practice easier, more enjoyable and at least one that now will make handling “the money” a lot easier as well.

The biggest stress in an established practice is staff management. Working with people is hard, and as I write this, countless client stories pop into my head. I must admit, I think I’ve heard it all: This associate said this. The CA won’t do that. And you won’t believe what the therapy assistant did!

But how is it that some people have a fraction of the employee problems others have? What do they know that others don’t? This article will help you get top performance from each employee and cut the stress of management in half. The following strategies and tips will reduce employee problems, uncomfortable confrontations and the wasted time of rehiring and retraining – only to fire and start again.

As part of my credentials, I’ve coached well over 1,000 offices on staff issues, had more than 10 highly profitable offices of my own, managed multiple companies and staffs in a wide variety of businesses, AND I’ve had key positions filled for 20-plus years.

First, it’s a lot easier to manage when you are leading, so share your practice vision and practice goals with your staff. After decades of teaching chiropractors and staffs, I can tell you that CAs long for their doctor to cast a vision for the future. This lets them see how their job fits into the big picture. It’s your job as clinic owner to clarify and share your vision for where the practice is going and it’s their job to make the best contribution to your vision. It’s clean, honest and direct.

Second, you can’t manage employees if you aren’t willing to confront problems. However, you can make confrontation half as hard right off the bat by fixing four common mistakes:

Mistake #1: Failure to outline and discuss in detail how each employee needs to treat their job, the practice, patients and co-workers.

Solution: Write out your wants, desires and standards into an employee office policy. Let everyone know what behavior you expect and how we all will treat the job, practice, patients and each other. Have each employee read and sign it.

Example: I don’t believe facial piercing is appropriate in a chiropractic clinic. I clearly mention that in my office policy. Additionally, I don’t want people coming to me to borrow against future pay checks. That’s mentioned too. Write up your own office policy and go over it with every employee. It does not guarantee perfection, but lays a foundation for successful employee management.

Mistake #2: Failure to completely outline the job duties for the employee.

Solution: Write up a detailed job description, including the tough parts of the job, even if only done on rare occasion.

Example: New hires are typically excited about a new job and willing to embrace the entire position and all responsibilities. I include a section at the end on how the job description may change without notice based on clinic goals and the needs of the practice. I explain that concept carefully and have the employee sign it.

Mistake #3: Confusing poor management with being nice. Some doctors tell me they’re just “too nice” to be effective managers, but it isn’t that they’re too nice. “Nice” is when you feel you can do anything you want and you choose to change a policy for the good of the practice vision and or the staff.

Too nice is code for fear of confrontation. When you fail to confront because you feel compelled to give in to an employee who needs correction, it isn’t being nice – it’s bad management. Here’s where poor management compounds your stress: If you let a rule slide three times (because you’re “too nice”) you have created new policy and given the signal that the boss is powerless. “I’m so nice, why do they take advantage of me?” Because you’re “too nice.”

A client told me that he cured himself of “too nice” with a simple mental adjustment: He substitutes the word weak for nice. He hates being weak and just thinking about it differently gives him the right attitude to make the right choice.

Solution: IF the employee problem is knowledge or a procedure problem – re-train. IF it’s an attitude problem, take them back to the signed office policy and or the job description.

Example: “We have clearly outlined this in the office policy and in your job description. The person who has your job shows up on time (or whatever the infraction). If that person is you, you need to start showing up on time now. IF you can’t be here on time, you need to tell me now.” The ball is in their court. NEVER think that ignoring bad behavior will eliminate it. It sanctions it. By the way, if they can’t be on time, find someone who will. It may be hard, but it’s that simple.

Mistake #4: Failure to provide ongoing training in every position in the office. Staff can get off track or can’t remember who the boss is if you won’t consistently train – even after they know the position.

Solution: Weekly office meetings where you run drills.

Example: I built a chain of very profitable chiropractic offices that run like little Swiss watches because I am committed to training and checking up on performance. Remember, you don’t get what you expect – you get what you train for and continue to inspect.

Live by these rules and you’ll have a fraction of your current employee stress and enjoy your practice much more than you do now.

I like the morning – up early, small breakfast, coffee, morning news and off to the health club. I sit outside at 5:10 a.m., checking my email and waiting for the club to open. I fire up a podcast or start listening to a book and suddenly my mind is racing around dozens of ideas and concepts – some new, but many familiar – like a good friend you’ve almost forgotten, but are happy to see again.

Before I know it, the 36 minutes on the StairMaster are over. Where did the time go? Once again I trick my body during what might be an activity that is boring beyond endurance by sending my brain on a wonderful excursion through a great author’s thoughts.

Great thought and exercise are old friends. My late father-in-law, John McDiarmid, spent time at the Institute for Advanced Study in New Jersey. My wife, just a little girl at the time, remembers the professors walking all over the town. Her mother explained that it helped them think. With iPods, iPhones and every other MP3 player available we can listen to the great and inspiring thought of others while we burn off calories and pump up our pecs. What a deal!

Right now I’m listening to Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. I read it decades ago, but I’m being challenged and stimulated to new ideas, action steps and excitement and hope for the future. At 80 minutes into my workout I feel great, both physically and mentally. I’ve stopped several times between sets and reps to email myself an idea that bubbled to the surface while listening to wonderful smart people read their inspiring words to me.

So, load up your MP3 player with a couple of great books: The E-Myth Revisited by Gerber. Personal Accountability by Miller or II Corinthians by Paul and stomp your local StairMaster into submission. Everybody wins.

Friend, client and full-time wild-man Dr. Phil Kriss competes in iron man triathlons. That’s where you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a 26.2 mile marathon. At age 50, Phil just scored his personal best time of under 4:55, finishing with the pros with big sponsor money. He was elated. I’m in awe – over 50 and he’s doing his best ever.

If you ask how he did it, he’ll explain a very well-detailed training regimen along with the science behind the physiology and race strategy. He’ll give you a checklist of what he does. Then you get to decide if you want to pay the same price to produce your best ever.

“It’s not rocket science. You want to do it or you don’t,” I heard Phil say.

What a lead-in! In the last four years, almost 80 percent of our clients did their best-ever year in practice. For the new practices that’s easy to understand, but I’m talking about doctors in their 50s, 60s – even 70s.

I’m going to give you the checklist for producing your best ever in practice. Then it’s up to you. As Phil said, “It’s not rocket science. You want to do it or you don’t.”

I’ve got some great news for you: it’s a lot easier than an ironman triathlon.

Here’s to your best ever year in practice:

1.      Fall in love with the process: You know that real love is a choice, right? Make the choice to fall in love with the challenge, the growth, the skill acquisition, and the battle.

2.      Fall in love with your office call: You’re going to do a zillion of ‘em. Plan and map out an on-purpose, fun and clinically excellent few minutes of pure bliss “by design.” Train every patient to participate in THAT type of office call and if the patient refuses – refer them out to someone else.

3.      Fall in love with your report of findings: Do a great report of findings and patients will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Be so clear, so concise, so persuasive that you can hardly wait to do your ROF (and do it so well that patients will give you a standing ovation).

4.      Fall in love with your marketing: Doctors who know how to market get lots of new patients and do well in practice. Doctors who don’t struggle – for a lifetime. What’s the answer? Learn to market. Learn to build and maintain three internal and three external marketing programs simultaneously in your practice. Dedicate three to seven hours a week to being your own marketing director. THAT tip alone is worth $100,000 a year.

5.      Find and keep good people: Hire, train, develop and keep good people. Share your practice vision with your staff and train them how to work in cooperation with that vision. We have a phrase at Five Star that goes: “2 x 50 = $1,000,000.” That means 2 hours a week in training for 50 weeks a year will build a $1,000,000 practice.

6.      Go back to the basics: Every golf coach on the planet will tell you that if their students just practiced the basics they would all improve. What do you think the pros do? We need to sit with CA, colleague or coach and refresh, relearn and practice the scripts and procedures to tune and polish. Remember what worked, then do it again.

7.      Time everything: Not every time, but enough to really know how long you actually take to do everything in the office. I think some of you will be horrified. “NO, it didn’t take me that long. Did it?” Yes it did doctor and that’s why patients don’t want to schedule. Ask your CA. And speaking of CAs…

8.      Go to work for a sharp CA: Train a strong CA how an office should run then give her the whip. Learn phrases like “Where do I need to be next?” “What do you need from me?” and “Yes, Ma’am!” You’ll be in great shape in no time.

9.      Know your stats: If you can’t measure it, you can’t control it. Record keepers are record breakers, so keep records. Measure NP, ROP, regular patients, services, receipts, PVA, OVA, CVA.

10.  Watch your money: You can’t save without a personal budget so start there. Be a penny pincher. Know your gross collections, your overhead, your AR. Know what happens to every penny you don’t collect and why.

11.  Watch Your Mouth: Make a decision to talk only about chiropractic philosophy. Praise your technique, patient testimonies, great patients and how much you love “right now.”

12.  Get out of your comfort zone: Not wanting to do something can be an excellent reason to do it. Your comfort zone wants you dead and buried!

13.  Create your own mastermind group to share your dreams and goals in safety: This consists of other successful DCs and business people as well as your coach.

IF you want to start with just one, or you have picked 3, 5 or all 13, find a good coach who will encourage you to give your best to get your best.

I met with Dr. Paul last night for our usual Monday night dinner/meeting. Paul has worked with me as an associate at Sound Chiropractic for 2.5 years. I had made a decision regarding what we would talk about before he arrived. After he finished his NPOC he showed up with a notebook and Five Star notes. Typically we would take apart some part of the practice and work on it, but tonight would be different.

We both ordered and I was waiting for an IPA and Paul a pot of green tea. That’s when I started in: “This is a great year for you and the practice, Paul.” He agreed wholeheartedly. Slowly at first and listening to his response, I enumerated his wins and one practice record after another. This was his best ever year in practice and he was making more money than he ever had — over twice what the average associate makes. We talked about his new car, upcoming vacation and the changes in the man. We both knew that every observation was true. It was like counting the money after a big win at poker night, but far better.

The practice had grown as well. It’s no accident that the man and the practice both were setting records. Is this the biggest practice I’ve ever had? No, but this is the biggest this practice has ever been and every “best-ever” is a treat to me. In virtually every area there has been 20 percent-plus growth. We are on an excellent track to make 2011 an even better year and by 20 percent at least. Every week at the office meeting we take what we call a field trip to the stat board and celebrate the record wins.

Of course all this has a price, but the training, the marketing, the problem solving and all the just plain hard work has made Paul’s personal growth and the practice’s professional growth an enjoyable project. It looks nothing like automatic pilot. That’s a phrase people use when they hate the process and want to get away from the building. Paul and I communicate every day. Mainly by text or email, but many days by phone and two times a week in clinical and office training.

Over about 70 minutes the conversation went from wins and growth to the future and how much fun next year will be. More details about a couple projects came up, but only by accident and as we left I shook his hand and said good-bye. He’s a good guy, a hard worker, living a very successful life and someday soon will be a clinic owner. His growth and success is one reason I like my work.

Where does the REAL POWER to transform your practice actually come from?

My golf instructor was showing me a video clip of what he called the perfect drive.

“Everything is all lined up and headed in the same direction, and each piece accelerates the next until maximum power and speed is reached right at impact.” He was gushing now. “When you hit the ball that way, you barely feel it and it goes like a rocket!”

Some time later I hit the ball exactly that way and he was right; it felt effortless. That shot has a lot to teach us chiropractors about how to create real power and passion to transform your practice. Let me explain:

I’ve known and coached some of the most successful chiropractors in the country. I’ve helped brand new graduates grow by hundreds of visits a week and become super-successful; I’ve guided the already successful doctor to replicate his talent in associates and build and sell satellite offices. IN EACH CASE THE POWER COMES FROM THE SAME PLACE AS A GOOD GOLF SWING: THE RIGHT ESSENTIALS ALL LINED UP AND HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

When you think about it, that’s exceptionally good news. It means there’s a formula or a recipe, and if there’s a recipe, you can “whip up a batch” of the same success and power – if you’re willing to follow the steps.

Now, I’ve been working practice success for a long time and I’m sure I understand the right steps and the right sequence. Here they are:

First, you must have a strong VISION. Every successful chiropractor SEES themselves as successful, and the more successful they are, the clearer that vision is. With a clear vision your subconscious mind is constantly seeking opportunity, solving problems and moving you forward as if drawn by an invisible force. At the end of this article I’ll help you clarify and strengthen your vision.

Secondly, you need GOALS. The energy created by a strong vision must be given a task. That’s what your goals are – the work to fulfill your vision. Set goals just out of your reach – they must challenge you. Make goals clear and defined – they should never confuse you. Review these goals everyday – you must never forget.

Third, we need some ACTION. Do you understand how a strong vision and clear goals create spontaneous energy and action? Think back to when you were in high school and your girlfriend (or boyfriend) was at a friend’s house for a sleepover? I hitchhiked 80 miles, and got there at 3 a.m. as energetic as can be! Believe me, it was my vision and I had a goal.

With a strong vision, clear goals and the right action steps, things start to happen almost automatically. You see what you want in your vision, define it with your goals and then your subconscious mind sends you on the mission of building the practice of your dreams with your action steps. I’ve got some more great news here. Everything you need to do to be successful – someone else has already done it. Isn’t that exciting? First, it means it CAN be done and second (and this is the best part) there’s a path or RECIPE to follow.

Here’s what the super-successful chiropractors do: they keep their ears open for what’s really working, then they search like crazy for the best action steps (recipes) to fulfill their vision and reach their goals. Then they follow those recipes to the letter and make sure they stay functional as long as possible. If you’re smart, you’ll do the same.

OK, we have vision, goals and action steps and here’s where REAL POWER comes from. THEY MUST BE IN ALIGNMENT – no one should understand this better than chiropractors. When your vision is off to one side and your goals are stuck out to the other, you cut off the life flow and lose power. PLEASE TAKE MY ADVICE – do everything needed to get back in alignment! That’s where REAL POWER is.

Fourth, your conversation about you and your journey must be positive, encouraging and most of all clean and clear of any “victim-speak.” You know what I mean. There can be NO “why-me, poor-me” comments or you’re dead in the water. The most accurate predictor of failure is “victim-speak.” Avoid it and those who speak it like the plague.

Fifth is commitment. Good, old-fashioned determination. The wisest men throughout history all know that the man who refuses to quit is the one who has the best chance of winning. Now, put the pieces together: with a strong vision, clear goals, proven formulas and recipes, positive self-talk and commitment, you have everything lined up and headed in the same direction. It’s like my golf coach’s video clip; it’s the PERFECT DRIVE that produces the REAL POWER to build and TRANSFORM your practice.

I want to leave you with some parting advice; don’t try this journey on your own. It usually doesn’t work and it’s nowhere near as much fun. Find a good coach and build strong relationships with that coach and his clients, and enjoy the game and find REAL POWER.

If you need some help with your vision, go to www.myfoundationofsuccess.com and click the Vision Link!